*Bonus* Darcy gets a different type of invitation

While the others went to their beds after their meeting at the Inn, Darcy determined that she had no time to rest if she was to get those tickets in less than 24 hours. Time to exploit her connections.

She'd immediately thought of Terrian Galoran when the need for invitations to a society party had come up. Terrian had, for a number of years, been a political "fixer" to the mayor's office before scoring himself a society bride and a ticket to wealthy indolence. They'd known each other professionally and worked well as a team in his previous life.

Now he was smart, wealthy and bored. Exactly the kind of person to have invitations to a fancy party and an inclination to 'lose' them. For the right price.

The lights of the Golaran family home were still lit when Darcy arrived at the front gate. Luckily Terrian was also still awake, as once her name was conveyed by the guards, she was guided to the drawing room to wait for him to join her.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Darcy Montrago herself." The deep voice preceded him, but moments later the drawing room doors opened to reveal the man of the house. Tall and broad, Terrian almost filled the door frame, although he didnt have to duck. The sum total of his size, presence and flaming red hair made the blue silk nightrobe complete with embroidered family crest look particularly comical on him.

"Terrian, a pleasure as always. Thank you for seeing me so late. You look well. Blue looks good on you." Coming into the room and closing the door, Terrian chuckled.

"I know you to be a better liar than that Darcy. This was all Kaedra's idea. They're a matching set of course."Darcy smirked. Terrian's marriage to Kaedra had been made for love and money; both exclusively her's.

"Of course."

"Well, go on then, I assume this isn't a visit to offer me a nightcap, what can I do for you?" He settled himself into a chair that seemed both too small and too frail for him.

"Eltris Beluar's latest vanity project. I presume you got an invitation? I'd like to take that off your hands." There was no point playing games with a man like Terrian, getting straight to business was better. Sighing, he leaned forward.

"You do realise my wife will be furious? Eltris's exhibitions are *the* place to be seen."

"Oh come on, don't tell me you actually want to go?" It was a good guess that he didn't. From his grimace she could tell she'd been right. "Just tell her you lost them!" Leaning back in his seat again Terrian sighed deeply.

"Fine. You're right, I don't want to go. But I wasn't joking about Kaedra. I'll never hear the end of it." For a long moment he paused. It was too long. Why was he staring? Darcy squirmed under his gaze.

When he finally spoke Terrian's voice was curiously softened, his tone nostalgic. "We had fun back in the day didn't we, Darcy? I always liked you. You know what, I will tell my wife I lost the invitation. You can have it. But you have to give me something I want in exchange." Darcy had to stop herself from smirking. Her instincts were still good, Terrian had been the right mark.

"Fine. How much?"

"No, thanks to this marriage I don't need money." His tone seemed...different than Darcy had ever heard from him. She tensed a little when he stood up and walked toward her, towering above her as she sat. "We're old friends, arent we? I want you to do me a favour..."